A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life, and how things were so hard for her. She didn't know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots of water, and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first pot, she placed some carrots; in the second, eggs; and in the third, ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. Later, after she turned off the burners, she fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. Next she scooped out the eggs and placed them in a bowl. She then poured the coffee into a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee", her daughter replied.

The mother brought her daughter closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did, and noticed they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After cracking it and removing the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, "What does this all mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity -- the boiling water, but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting; however, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting in the boiling water, its insides became hardened. The ground coffee beans, however, were unique. While they were in boiling water, they changed the water.

"Which are you?" the mother asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?"

Ask yourself, "Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength? Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial, do I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart? Or am I actually like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor."

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hours are the darkest and the trials are the greatest, do you elevate to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?